


solace of rest

by coffeecrowns



Series: bones in the ocean [1]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: 18-Month Time Gap (Rusty Quill Gaming), Canon Disabled Character, Depression, Domestic, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26633509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeecrowns/pseuds/coffeecrowns
Summary: Oscar doesn’t like being a hypocrite.Zolf has a rough night.
Relationships: Zolf Smith & Oscar Wilde, Zolf Smith/Oscar Wilde
Series: bones in the ocean [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946710
Comments: 13
Kudos: 98





	solace of rest

**Author's Note:**

> This is set during our 18 month time skip, Zolf and Oscar are living together for mission reasons, don't worry about it. 
> 
> title is from Bones in the Ocean by the Longest Johns which is a big Zolf Smith song

Oscar doesn’t like being a hypocrite. Normally, that would be a full stop sentence, no exceptions, but like most of the last year of his life, Zolf Smith proves exceptional. 

“You should go to bed,” he tells the dwarf in his kitchen. Zolf, predictably, snorts. 

“I could say the same to you, Wilde,” Zolf retorts, sinking into a kitchen chair across from the oven. Oscar knows from the smell and the dishes in the sink that Zolf is making bread. He knows that means hours ago Zolf decided he wasn’t going to sleep. Oscar watches Zolf rub at the skin just above his prosthesis. They tend to give him trouble after long enough days, and Oscar feels odd pride to know that. 

“You could,” Oscar muses. “And you would be right.” Zolf seems to relax at that, some satisfaction in his shoulders. 

“While you’re up, do you mind putting on the kettle? I could use some heat packs.” Oscar has to turn around to fill up the kettle, to keep himself from beaming with pride. Zolf admitting pain and asking for help is rare. It’s made worse by Oscar's own issues. He’s happy to be alive, happy an angry little goblin shouted his way into his life and demanded he stay alive. But knowing Zolf will hurt until the water boils makes him ache for magic, to warm his hands and place them on the dwarf and give the man some relief. Oscar does not know how to say that in anyways that Zolf would understand. Instead he adds a little water to the kettle and takes down mugs and tea. Herbal, mint and some other things that taste clean and soft. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Oscar asks, when there's no more faffing around the kitchen that he can do without Zolf knowing he’s stalling.

“Talk about what, Wilde?” Zolf replies, bitterness in his throat. Oscar doesn’t flinch. He carefully raises his eyes to meet Zolf’s. Zolf glares. 

“You’re right Wilde. I love to think about how a year ago I met three people who spent a month changing my life and then have been dead pretty much the whole time. I failed, and I left, and now they’re all gone - “ Zolf’s voice cracks on the last word and Oscar notes but doesn’t focus on the tears welling up in the dwarfs eyes. 

Before Oscar can say anything as stupid as “its not your fault,” the kettle whistles. He takes deep breaths while pouring hot water into the bags that will bring Zolf relief, and then into their mugs. He takes a big spoonful of honey and stirs Zolfs mug. 

“Thanks. I’m sorry.” Zolf says. Oscar lets him relax into the relief of the heat and sip his tea. 

“They weren’t angry at you. They loved you,” Oscar says, not for the first or the last time. 

“I should have been there,” Zolf says, the same gambit his brain always tries to swirl around and eat him alive. 

“Then you would be dead too.” 

“Maybe that would have been better,” Zolf all but whispers. 

“No, Zolf. I couldn’t do this without you.” Zolf takes a deep breath at that as Oscar holds his. Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees the tears trickling down Zolf’s face. 

“Okay,” says the dwarf. They are quiet for several minutes more. Then Zolf gets up slowly, and takes the bread out of the oven. 

“Would you like some?” 

There’s approximately a thousand things Oscar wants, and he will cherish whatever Zolf decides to give him. 

“Always,” Oscar smirks. Zolf rolls his eyes and smiles. He tears two buns off the tray and lets them cool on a plate between them. Oscar waits as long as he’s capable until he nearly burns his fingers off tearing open his bun, savouring the soft bread. 

“I’m glad you’re here too, Oscar.” Zolf says, softly, breaking open his own roll. 

If Oscar knew how to respond to that, he wouldn’t be in this situation. So he says, “Go to bed, Mr. Smith.” When Zolf’s eyes dart around the kitchen, Wilde sighs, “I can put the food away and we can do dishes in the morning.”

“And you’ll go to bed?” Zolf’s eyes narrow as he asks the question. 

“Yes,” Oscar promises. 

“Alright. Goodnight, Wilde.” Zolf says, as he walks up the stairs. 

Oscar does eventually go to bed, but he does the dishes first. He needs time to think. Besides, in the morning he will have a grumpy dwarf back in his kitchen, and no matter if Zolf thanks him or narrows his eyes in suspicion, it will be a relief to see. 

**Author's Note:**

> I love these two so much just kill me. 
> 
> The timelines of RQG are so heartbreaking when you think about the tiny amount of time they all got to know each other and how much they loved in that time.


End file.
